Barra Honda

Barra Honda is a limestone massif on the Nicoya Peninsula, an ancient coral reef lifted above sea level and then dissolved from within into more than forty known caves, most of them entered only by vertical shafts and the majority never fully explored. The one open to visitors is Terciopelo, entered by a fixed ladder of about seventeen metres straight down, with chambers below holding formations including a set of stalactites that ring at different pitches when tapped. The forest above is dry forest with howler monkeys and white-faced capuchins, and a trail climbs the hill to a lookout over the Tempisque and the Gulf of Nicoya.

What you actually see

• The Terciopelo descent - seventeen metres straight down a fixed ladder.
• The formations - including stalactites that ring at different pitches.
• The dry forest trails - howlers and capuchins on the hill above.
• The lookout - over the Tempisque river and the Gulf of Nicoya.

When to go

December to April only for the caves; they close in the wet season from roughly May to November because of flooding risk. Guided descents run in the morning and numbers are limited. Book ahead through the park.

Honest expectations

The caves close for around half the year, which catches out visitors who arrive in the wet season. The descent is a vertical ladder with a harness and is not suitable for anyone uncomfortable with heights or confined spaces. Guides and equipment are compulsory and must be arranged in advance. The trails above are hot and exposed.

Nearby

Nicoya is half an hour west; Sámara and the peninsula beaches are beyond.